Recycle Now: Cut your carbon footprint at Christmas

People should take action to reduce their carbon footprint over Christmas, according to Recycle Now.

The Oxford Times reported that carbon emissions can "go into overdrive" over the holidays, with some individuals producing up to 5.5 per cent of their total emissions during the period between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

However, Recycle Now has offered a number of steps to help cut the impact of Christmas on the environment.

It suggests making gifts, choosing to re-use last year’s wrapping paper and turning old holiday cards into decorations as three ways people can celebrate in an eco-friendly way.

An old mobile phone can contaminate up to 40,000 gallons of drinking water, according to the executive director of Rock the Earth.

This can be prevented by recycling the gadget, which also allows for the metals in the handset to be recovered and could cut down on the need for mining in the long run.